Gas burner



,J. ZANDER June 12, 1934.

GAS BURNER Filed Oct. 8, 1952 GMW Patented June l2, 1934 UNITED STATESmais@ PAT i Claims.

The present invention relates generally to improvements in gas burners,and has particular reference to burners especially adapted for use indomestic gas ranges. 5 One of the primary objects of the presentinvention resides in the provision of a novel gas burner which isadapted to burn e'iciently all kinds of gaseous. or vapor fuels incommon use.

Other objects reside in the provision of a new and improved gas burner.which converts a substantial portion of the generated heat into radiantheat, and which fully utilizes all of the heat both radiant andconvected for useful work.

A more specific object resides in the provision of a cracking chamberintermediate the main combustion chamber and the source of fuel wherethe air-fuel mixture is highly heated, partially burned and cracked inpreparation for final combustion, thus insuring rapid and completecombustion. Further obj ects and advantages will become apparent as thedescription proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view,taken along line 1-1 of Fig. 2, of a gas burner embodying the featuresof the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the burner.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the burner takenalong line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications andalternative constructions, I have shown in the drawing and will hereindescribe in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understoodthat I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific formdisclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternativeconstructions falling Within the spirit and scope of the invention asexpressed in the appended claims.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the burner constituting thepreferred embodiment of the invention comprises generally a burner head10, an inlet line, preferably in the form of a tube 11, connected to thehead, and a suitable mixing device 12 for supplying an air-fuel mixtureto the tube.

The mixing device 12 per se forms-no part of the present invention, andin the present instance is shown as comprising an air inlet housing 13adjustably mounted on the inlet end of the tube 11. The housing 13'hasan end wall 14 formed with a central sleeve 15 and with avplurality ofair inlet openings 16 spaced about the sleeve. A suitable apertureddamper plate 17 is` rotatably adjustable on the sleeve 15 against theWall 14 55 to control the effective inlet area of the openings 16.Mounted in the sleeve 15 is a fuel nozzle 18 having a jet orifice 19opening axially into the tube 11. A hand valve 20 adapted to beconnected to a suitable source of fuel (not shown) is connected to thenozzle 18. It will be evident that the jet of fuel from the nozzle 18will induce a proportionate flow of primary air from the housing 13 intothe tube 1l wherein the fuel and air will be intimately mixed. Theair-fuel ratio may be varied by adjusting the damper plate 17. Thevolume of the air-fuel mixture supplied to the burner head 10 is underthe control of the valve 20. A

Many kinds of fuel gas are now in common use.

Thus, the fuel may be natural gas alone, or natural gas mixed withanother gas such as manufactured gas, or air carburized with light oils,etc. These various gases present Widely different burner requirements.Thus considerable difficulty is encountered in burning natural gas dueto its slow rate of flame propagation. Where natural gas is used aloneor as a constituent of a mixed gas, adjustment of the burner for a longflame causes some partially unburned gas to leave the zone of combustionand lick around the vessel on the range, While adjustment for a shorterflame results in too much excess air and in a reduced volume of heat.Prior burners are not capable of satisfactory regulation to render themuniversally adapted for all fuel gases.

The present burner head 10 has structural features and operatingcharacteristics which overcome `the foregoing difficulties,V and whichmore particularlyrender the burner capable of burning efficiently anykind of available fuel gas. Hence, the entire heating value of the gasis made available for useful work.

Specifically, the burner head 10 comprises a hollow body 21 which ispreferably generally vertically cylindrical in form and the interior ofwhich constitutes a fuel chamber 22. The discharge end of the tube 1l isconnected to the side of the body 21 in communication With the chamber22. A peripheral mounting flange 23 on the exterior of the body 21intermediate its ends is 100 adapted to support the burner assembly onthe range. Extending upwardly and axially throughl and above the body 2lis an air tube 24 which renders the fuel chamber 22 annular in form.

Mounted about the upper end of the body 21 105 is a member 25 definingan annular concentric cracking chamber 26 to which the air-fuel mixturefrom the fuel chamber 22 is discharged. A pluralityA of closelyperipherally spaced burner ports 2'/ are formed in the upper end of thepe- 110 ripheral wall of the body 21 to permit the discharge of fuel inan annular series of jets. Preferably, the ports 27 are arranged in asingle row, with each port extending substantially radially but slightlyinclined upwardly. and outwardly.

While the member 25 may be varied in form, it is herein disclosed as acircular upwardly opening bowl having an upright peripheral wall and aflat bottom wall. The latter is formed with a central opening 28receiving the upper end of the body 2l, and is seated at the marginaledge of the-opening on a plurality of peripherally spaced lugs 29. Toafford a primary inlet for secondary air of combustion, the opening 28is made larger in diameter than the body 21, and the marginal edgethereof engages in notches 30 formed respectively in the upper outeredges of the lugs 29, thereby defining an annular inlet space. Thus, asubstantial flow of secondary air nearly at right angles tothe fuel jetsissuing from. the ports 27 is induced upwardly through the crackingchamber 26 during the operation of the burner. The fiange 23 underliesthe inlet opening 28, and

. causes the secondary air to flow thereto in a tortuous path.

The air-fuel mixture is heated andpartially burned in the crackingchamber 26, and the heat generated thereby is mostly converted intoradiant form, so as to create a preliminary zone of high temperature inwhich the mixture is prepared for final and complete combustion. To thisend, the interior of the member 25 is fully lined with refractorymaterial 3l. Fitted tightly on the upper end of the tube 24 against thetop of the body 21 is a small ring 32 of refractory material. A disk 33of refractory material sub.- stantially closing the; top of the crackingchamber 26 is mounted on the tube 24 against the top of the ring 32, andis formed in its periphery with a plurality of radial slots 34.terminating in circular openingsthrough which the flame of the burningfuel mixture is adapted to pass. Refractory material is used to obtainthe greatest possible degree of radiation. It will be understood,however, that any suitable heat resisting material may be employed.

The slots 34 while constituting fiame apertures also serve to-increasethe surface area of the edge of the disk 33. It will be understood thatthe form of the disk 33, particularly at the periphery, may be varied,preferably to obtain the greatest available surface area for both heatabsorption and emission.

The high temperature resulting from the radiant heat serves to effectcracking of the fuel into carbon dust and various hydrocarbon homologuesbefore combustion is complete, and also serves to increase the rate ofcombustion thus insuring complete combustion and full utilization of theheat generated. The flange 23 serves to prevent downward radiation ofthe heat from the interior of the cracking chamber 26.

'I'he flame of the partially burned and highly heated cracked air-fuelmixture passes from the chamber 26 upwardly about the disk 33 andthrough the openings 34 to the main combustion space above the burnerhead 10 where the combustion is quickly completed. A central stream ofsecondary air of combustion passes upwardly through the tube 24, and'inaddition to supporting combustion also serves to keep the flame abovethe disk 33 spread apart. The free carbon dust resulting from thevcracking serves to make the flame semi-luminous.

The burner head -10 thus serves to convert the heat of combustionlargely into radiant form. Hence, both radiant and convected heat areapplied to the vessel on the range. By reason of the cracking chamber 26intermediate the final combustion space and the source of fuel, and thesupply of secondary airin two consecutive stages, one stage to supportpartial combustion in the cracking chamber and the other stage,including the air passing through thetube 2a with the atmosphere aboutthe flame, to support final combustion, 'the fuel is burned in thepresence 0f a high temperature without a long flame. Consequently, thevessel to be heated can be positioned closely to the top of the burnerhead 10, leaving only sufficient room for the products of combustion toescape, thereby resulting in the effective utilization of the radiantheat to produce a high degree of heat absorption. The interception ofcombustion through chilling of the flame by cold outside surfaces, as iscommon with the long blue flame of prior burners, is not possible withthe present radiant burner head.

it will be understood that the burner head 'need not necessarily beofthe circular type, but

may have any shape best adapted to the specific requirements of eachinstallation.

i claim as my invention:

l. A gas burner comprising, in combination, a hollow verticalcylindrical body defining a fuel chamber, a secondary air tube extendingaxially E05 through saidbody, means for supplying an airfuel mixture tosaid chamber, an annular` bowlshaped member mounted aboutsaid body anddening an upwardly opening annular cracking chamber therewith, theAinner periphery of said member being spaced from said body to define asecondary air inlet to said cracking chamber, the interior of saidmember being lined with radiant refractory material, said body beingformed with a plurality of peripherally spaced ports opening from saidfuel chamber to said cracking chamber, a refractory ring mounted on saidtube against the top of said body, and a refractory disk mounted on saidtube against the top of said ring and v overlying saidvcracking chamber,said disk being formed in its periphery with a plurality of fiameopenings.

2. A gas burner comprising, in combination, a hollow body defining afuel chamber, a secondary air tube extending vertically through saidbody, means for supplying an air-fuel mixture to said chamber, abowl-shaped member surrounding said body and defining an upwardlyopening A cracking chamber therewith, said member having an aperture'through which said body extends, 130 the edge of said aperture'beingvspaced from said body to provide a secondary air inlet to said crackingchamber, the interior of said member being lined with radiant refractorymaterial, said body having a plurality of ports opening from said fuelchamber to said cracking chamber, and a refractory disk surrounding saidtube and overlying said-cracking chamber, said disk having a pluralityof flame apertures opening from said cracking chamber. 14

3. A gas burner comprising, in combination, a vhollow body defining afuel chamber, means for supplying an air-fuel mixture to said chamber, abowl-shaped member of refractory material surrounding said body andforming a cracking chamber around said body, said body having aplurality of radial ports opening into the lower part of said crackingchamber, said member having an opening adjacent said ports to form asecondary air inlet to said cracking chamber, a cloamargas sure memberof refractory material mounted within and adjacent the upper edgeoi saidbowl-v shaped member and having a plurality oi iiame openings directlyover the cracking chamber, and

means for supplying secondary air to above'said iiame opening centrallywithin the areavdefined thereby. s

4. A gas burner comprising, in combination, a bowl-shaped 'member ofrefractory material forming a cracking chamber, means positioned"`centrally of saidl chamber i'or projecting an air-- fuel mixtureradially outward into said chamber, said member having an openingadjacent said means forming a secondary air inlet to said crackingchamber, means dening an upper wall for vsaid cracking chamber andhaving a plurality of annularly arranged flame apertures opening fromsaid crackingchamber, and means ior supplying air centrally through saidlast-menondary air -to the 'Products issuing from said openings tocomplete the combustion thereof.

' 'A JOHN zANDER.

